Malware is the bane of all business IT systems, and fake anti-spyware programs are one of the worst threats that your company's computers face. Performance Optimizer generates fake error messages and alerts in an attempt to scare the user into buying the software that will purportedly fix the problems; however, you can usually remove Performance Optimizer from your computer without further harming your system.

Right-click on the taskbar and click "Start Task Manager." Open the "Processes" tab, then click "PerfOpt.exe" and "End Process." This closes Performance Optimizer, allowing you to remove it.

Click "Start," type "regedit" (omit the quotes) in the Search box and click on the result. Delete the following keys in the registry: HKEY_USERS\Software\Performanceoptimizer HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Performance Optimizer (Trial version) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Performanceoptimizer Close the Registry Editor when done.

Restart your computer. Every trace of Performance Optimizer should now be removed.

Tip

Always have anti-virus software installed and running on your computer to help prevent malicious software infections in the future. Some good free solutions include AVG Free Edition, Avast Free Edition and Microsoft Security Essentials.

About the Author

Based mostly in Norwich, UK, Charles Jackson has been writing articles professionally for the Web since 2007. He has completed college-level English language and English literature studies. Jackson maintains a travel blog and regularly writes for the travel market.